Celebrating One Year of the Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health
The Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health follows a community-based clinic model that provides psychological services to low-income clients, particularly Nova Scotians who face barriers in accessing mental health services. (Communications Nova Scotia / File)
Today, September 12, marks one year since the Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health opened and started connecting hundreds of more Nova Scotians to mental health and addictions care.
“Everyone deserves to have access to the care they need, no matter their situation,” said Brian Comer, Minister of Addictions and Mental Health. “I’m so pleased with the success we have seen in the first year of this clinic. Dalhousie continues to be a great partner as we introduce new and innovative programs that are building the foundation for universal mental health and addictions care in Nova Scotia.”
The centre, located in Halifax, follows a community-based clinic model that provides psychological services to low-income clients, particularly Nova Scotians who face barriers in accessing mental health services. The centre has partnered with 23 community organizations to identify people who are most in need of their services. When necessary, clients of the clinic can be referred to other mental health and addictions services.
Since opening, the clinic has served more than 350 clients, with more than 1,100 sessions provided.
The clinic also provides training opportunities, under the supervision of registered clinical psychologists, for clinical psychology PhD students who are embarking on a career in mental health and addictions care.
Over the last year, 31 students have provided 686 therapy appointments and 305 assessment appointments.
The Province is investing $4.5 million over three years to fund the centre.
The establishment of universal mental health and addictions coverage that guarantees every Nova Scotian access to mental health professionals is an action item in Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia.
Quotes:
“I’m so proud of all that we’ve accomplished at the CPH in this first year. We envisioned a training clinic for our clinical psychology PhD students for many years, and our partnership with OAMH created an opportunity to do this in a way that is more impactful than we ever imagined. Supporting people who have struggled to access mental health care and observing the positive changes in their lives has been rewarding for everyone involved. I want to thank our incredible staff and students for their dedication and skill in providing a wide range of mental health services to many community members, and to our community partners for trusting us to support our mutual clients. We look forward to continuing our work with clients, students, community partners and government in the coming years to expand mental health services and training in Nova Scotia.”
— Dr. Shannon Johnson, co-Director, Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health
“The CPH has provided an invaluable training experience for me and many other students. Through the CPH, we have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients from the community. The supervision from the dedicated psychologists has been exceptional, guiding me and my fellow students in developing the skills necessary to become well-rounded clinicians. The collaborative environment, with a multidisciplinary team including social workers supporting case management, has greatly enhanced the quality of care we provide to our clients. Thanks to the ongoing support from the CPH, we have been able to focus fully on our clinical training, preparing us to effectively serve the community.
— Jenna Bissonnette, third-year Dalhousie clinical psychology PhD student
Quick Facts:
- nine registered clinical psychologists currently provide supervision at the clinic
- clinical work is supported by social work, including a full-time case manager and system navigator
- 30 to 40 clinical psychology PhD students are expected to cycle through the clinic annually
- Dalhousie’s clinical psychology PhD program maintains enrolment of about 45 students
- in July, the Province announced funding for a new joint clinical psychology residency program between the centre and the Dalhousie Student Health and Wellness Centre
Additional Resources:
More information on the new residency program and the application process is available at: https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/jwp/health-and-wellness/Dalhousie%20Residency%20Brochure%202025-26.pdf
News release – New Mental Health Centre Opens in Halifax: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2023/09/12/new-mental-health-centre-opens-halifax
News release – New Clinical Psychology Residency Program: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/07/26/new-clinical-psychology-residency-program-update-centre-psychological-health
Information on Dalhousie University’s PhD clinical psychology program: https://www.dal.ca/academics/programs/graduate/psychology-and-neuroscience/program-details/phd-clinical-psychology.html
Dalhousie Student Health and Wellness: https://www.dal.ca/campus_life/health-and-wellness.html